Each Other's Keeper
by HDTV-AllThisAndHeavenToo
Summary: Amora the Enchantress has been exiled to Midgard and was very well acclimating to her new life as an antique shop owner... until her childhood comes back. Lady Sif claims she needs her help with the new king. But who side does Amora really choose? A friend or past lover? New magic and power will be revealed. Who will be left alive?


I hid behind my mother's long robe as she spoke with the queen about sleeping arrangements. My green eyes peered around at my new home. The palace was beautiful. Columns of concrete and walls of gold grasped my attention as the two women conversed among themselves.

"You must save her, my queen." My mother told the All-Father's wife.

"Save her from what, dear?"

At that moment, my tiny little head poked around my mother's dress and met up with another pair of warm green eyes. A little boy was poking his head around the queen. He lifted his pale hand to wave. I gasped quickly and hid behind my mother again. Who was that?

"Save her from herself! Raise her in the ways of the palace and of all things good."

The boy looked up at his mother as I looked up at mine. My mother just so happened to talk to me.

She swept a piece of blonde hair out of my face, "You're going to like it here. Queen Frigga will teach you all of the ways about the palace and look," She pointed to the dark headed boy behind the queen, "That's Loki. He's looking for friends too." She smiled warmly and wrapped me in her arms.

"Where are you going, mother?" I asked as she stood.

She tried her hardest not to cry, "I am going back to Vanaheim, my child. I love you very much. You must remember that, through everything."

"I love you too, mother…" I watched as my mother left me with total strangers that I had never met nor seen before. Still, Frigga wrapped a comforting arm around me and escorted me to my new room.

I was only 17 at that time… What was I now? Oh man… I think around 1,045? It's hard to keep track… I suppose to you Midgardian ages, I was 7 or 8.

I had no clue what I had done to make my mother send me away at such a young age, but I adapted. The first night was spent in the arms of a queen, crying silently as she lulled me to sleep. That's what every child would've done right? I eventually learned to pick myself up by the bootstraps and get over it. I took the careful unpack my things and sleep in my own bed after the first week or so.

The next few days I tried my hardest to make friends with the popular bunch. Let me just give it to you how it went down. This was pretty much the guideline of my rest of the time there:

Thor was much too infatuated with Sif to say much. Sif was too infatuated with Theoric to pay any attention to Thor. Theoric had his gleaming brown eyes on Sigyn—oh the innocent—and Sigyn was much too concerned about her studies to pay attention to any of them.

Loki on the other hand, wanted nothing to do with the popular bunch. Of course, he had a small crush on Sigyn, but it didn't matter to me. He had become my best friend. He showed me magic tricks and things I could've only wished for. I never admitted to myself that I had the tiny crush on Loki growing up. He was always the one I confided in. I was the one he looked to. We were each other's keeper.

It was us, Loki and I fooling around the palace. Well, neither of us could say "fooling". We were both focused on passing classes than meeting a new person to kiss. Needless to say, we did have our fun... for a while at least... but then it was over all too soon.

* * *

"Wake up!" A harsh voice commanded.

"Eh?" I tumbled out of the bed.

"Work begins in thirty minutes." Mrs. Mason, the shop owner, announced and left the room.

"Thanks, momma." I called after her down the stairs.

Ever since that terrible night of leaving Asgard, I stayed with Mrs. Mason and her husband in the small shop on the corner of Main Street in Austin, Texas. Ah yes, the music capital of this realm was now my home. I didn't mind this life, I supposed. I could carry out a normal Midgardian life, moving place to place so no one knew that I aged thousands of years slower than everyone. I had given up on getting back to Asgard, so I made the best of my life here. I worked in the shop that I slept in, went to a bar every Friday night, slept in every Saturday and began the routine all over on Sunday. It was a simple life really. I liked it well enough… or I tried to convince myself that I did.

In the mirror, I noticed my hair first. My merlot colored hair was poofed up in an afro. Yikes. I straightened it down to where it rested on the top of my chest and my bangs were over my eyes. My outfit was a black pea-coat (decorated with a light blue scarf), and black pants and ankle high boots to match.

My eyes scanned my room for anything that I could've left. I wasn't stupid enough to carry around a purse. My white dresser was cleaned with the mirror, my bed was made, and my white carpet was flawless. Yes. I had everything.

Downstairs, momma had made bacon and eggs; a traditional Texan treat. The smell wafted into my nose as I made my plate and sat at the dining table beside Mr. Mason. To this day, I never could figure out why he wanted to be called "Mr. Mason" instead of "Dad". I didn't mind that much. I had only shown up a decade or two anyways.

Mr. and Mrs. Mason never could have children of their own, so they were quick to take me in. What a mistake that was. I was only 1,000 or so. In Midgardian terms I was about 16. The child they met had dirt matted in her hair, anger in her eyes and sadness in her walk. I was a mess. It took their kind effort and cares to get me back on the right track. Of course they had no idea of where I came from or what I did, but I always figured they had a hunch.

We made light conversation at the table as we gobbled up our food, preparing for the beginning wave of customers. The Masons owned an antique shop that had everything any human could've dreamed of. Old candies, instruments, odd things, and "normal" things like coffee (only if you asked behind the counter). There was something for everyone in this store. I was quite proud to be a part of it. The small shop had more customers than it could account for. It wasn't like there was a rush hour, but everyone wanted a piece of the old shop. To me, the store itself had character; in its squeaky wooden floor and wood doors.

The bell on the door chimed signaling an early-rising customer. Those were usually the ones to pay the most. I sprung to the counter.

"Hi, may I help you?" I smiled my normal, charming smile.

A man with a thick white beard picked up a ukulele and set it on the counter. "How much for the instrument, ma'am?"

My eyes scanned the instrument and tested its strings. "Mr. Mason wanted to sell it for $250, but I'll cut you a deal and give it to you for $200."

He grinned politely as he took out the Benjamin Franklins, "Thank you!"

"Not a problem! Do you need a bag for this, sir?"

"No thank you. I'll be sure to let my friends know of this store… What was your name?"

"Um," I smiled sweetly, "Annie… Annie Mason."

He wrote it on a card. "I'll keep your store in mind!" The man waved as he left.

"No problem…" I sighed and leaned against the counter. My nose took in the musty scent of the shop and stung this early in the morning. The air filled my lungs as I tested my magic gauge for the day. The magic inside was unnaturally strong today. I knew I would have to keep my cool for the day or someone was surely going to die.

"Annie." Momma walked in and placed a hand on my tense shoulder.

I turned to her, my eyes glowing gold, "Yes?"

She took a step back, "Are you feeling alright?"

"Of course." I smiled and shook the color out of my eyes. Only momma knew about the magic. She was the first to tell that I was of somewhere else by my accent and manner of speaking. She knew I hated it here and that I wanted to go back to my home… Over time, I lost the manner of speaking, but kept the accent and I learned to actually like it on Midgard.

"Good, because we have a new customer."

I turned around to see a pale man with sleek black hair. It hurt how much this man reminded me of Loki. "He must have snuck in." I muttered, putting on a fake smile. "Can I help you sir?"

His eyes glanced around the shop, "I suppose… I'm not sure what I'm looking for."

He even sounded like Loki. I had to blink a few times to remind myself that Loki was imprisoned in Asgard… Yes everyone had heard of the shenanigans in New York and the Dark Elves invading London. Both times the chaos stopped before I could get there. It was a shame.

"Well, we have instruments and-." I stopped as he practically appeared by the counter once my mom left the room.

"Your necklace…" He pointed to my emblem that told everyone who I was, yet no one paid attention.

"What about it?" My fingers lunged for the green charm.

He eyed it suspiciously, "How much for it?"

My eyes narrowed at the stranger. "I'm not giving it to you."

"Come on, Amora… I'll give you anything you want for it…" His words slithered into my ears like snakes.

"You cannot have it. There is nothing this realm nor any other realm can give me."

"But Amora…" He continued. "I can give you the thing you wish for the most…"

"And what is that?" I asked, playing his game.

His lips moved to my ears as he whispered: "Love".

I pulled back as if it were true. "You wish. There is no man, no lover, no woman or spell in the entire universe that can give me what I want."

The man was taken aback, "For good measure, what IS the thing you want to most."

A laugh escaped my lips. "I will not tell." I waved my hand over the person's body and he became who I thought he was in the first place.

Loki stood in a Midgardian suit.

My jaw dropped. My eyes took in the essence of him. His pale skin was like stone. His eyes were like ice. My knees almost quit working. The kind Midgard dweller I was disappeared when he showed himself.

"What are you doing here?" I asked, my voice only a whisper.

"I kind of need that necklace…" He began.

"Why? Did you forget your mother's birthday present again?" We shared a moment of laughter, remembering the old days.

"No… There is knowledge locked away, deep in the libraries of Asgard, and I need that necklace to find it."

"Go ask your pops. I'm not giving it to you unless I'm there."

"Amora, please," He began, "I need it."

"You're not getting it. Ask the All-Father to un-banish me."

"Odin is not king! I am." His voice turned to a blanket of ice. "And I NEED that necklace!"

"Tough luck, cheesecake. Wherever this necklace goes, I go. You should know that more than anything else. And did you finally kill him?"

A small nod answered my question.

"Once you found out about your true heritage?" My arms folded across my chest.

His eyes narrowed, "How did you know?"

"We all knew. You were the one too oblivious to notice."

His eyes glazed over in hurt and anguish.

"I never saw you-."

Momma walked back into the store and Loki stayed the same.

"Is everything alright?" She smiled kindly and flipped her blonde hair out of her face. She looked like she could've very well been my mother.

"Yeah." I smiled. "Everything's fine. Right—uh," I turn to ask Loki for a fake name.

"Thomas." He nodded in respect. "Are you Amo- Annie's mother?"

She nodded, "I am. It's nice to meet you Thomas! Are you my daughter's boyfriend?"

I practically fell over in agony.

"What's the issue dear?" She looked at us both. "You two look perfect together!"

"Oh mom…." I hid my face behind my hands.

"Well?"

"I agree with you, Mrs. Mason." Loki—Thomas chuckled lightly.

I gave him the "I'm going to kill you" look.

"See, Annie! You could be a cute couple."

"No, we cannot!" I protested.

Loki smiled charmingly, "I would like to ask you on a date, Ms. Annie."

"No! No. End of story. I'm going to get coffee." I announced and left the site. It was obvious Loki was doing just in spite of me. He disliked me now, and he just wanted to see me hurt. Maybe that was it. There was no way I was going to be ruled by an insufficient bastard. If that's how he wanted to play, that's how I was going to play.

I strode back in the shop, but Loki was gone and my mind changed. All that was my past ran out of my hands. I took deep breaths trying to calm my heart rate or this building was going down in my rage. I was going to see the God of Mischief again.

The person I once was had come back and had no intentions of staying hidden. My necklace began to glow as my eyes and hands did. If Loki wanted Amora's necklace, he'd have to work for it.

* * *

Hello to you all! I hope you've liked what you read. Obviously, I took some liberties with the character. I hope you review and favorite! I look forward to writing this unique story. (This is original and does not fit in perfectly with comics, I thought I would change up the "classical" AmoraxLoki story for once! Enjoy!)


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